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2024-10-27 20:40:14I gripped the knife at my side, my mind racing. What were my options? I could run, try to lose them in the ruins, but I wasn’t sure I had the energy for that. And if they had a vehicle stashed somewhere, running would just get me killed faster. I could hide, wait for them to pass, but that didn’t feel right either. No, if they were after me, they wouldn’t just pass by. They’d find me eventually.
Which left one option. I could confront them. probably.... I waited a little longer, watching as the figure grew closer. They weren’t in a hurry, moving at a steady, measured pace. I didn’t see any weapons, but that didn’t mean much. Anyone who had survived this long had something up their sleeve. My heart pounded in my chest as I stood up, gripping the knife tightly in my hand. I stepped out from behind the wall and started walking back toward them, each step deliberate, my senses on high alert. The distance between us closed slowly, painfully slowly, and every second felt like an eternity. Finally, I was close enough to make out details. The figure was tall, broad-shouldered, wearing a black jacket that was torn and covered in ash. A hood obscured their face, but I could see the glint of something metallic strapped to their belt. I stopped when there were only about twenty feet between us, my heart hammering in my chest. “Who are you?” I called out, my voice steady despite the fear gnawing at my gut. The figure paused, their head tilting slightly, as if considering my question. Then, slowly, they reached up and pulled back their hood. My breath caught in my throat. It was Ben. I almost didn’t recognize him at first, not with the beard and the hollow look in his eyes. He was thinner, his face gaunt, his skin weathered from months or years of living in the wasteland. But it was him. I would’ve known those eyes anywhere. "Maya," he said, his voice rough, like he hadn’t spoken in days. I didn’t know what to say. A dozen questions raced through my mind, but none of them made it to my lips. All I could do was stare at him, my heart pounding in my chest, my hand still gripping the knife like I was preparing for a fight. "What are you doing here?" I finally managed to ask, my voice barely above a whisper. He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he took a step closer, his hand resting on the hilt of the knife strapped to his belt. My pulse quickened, and I raised my own knife defensively, my muscles tensing. "Are you following me?" I demanded, my voice sharper now. Ben stopped, his eyes locking onto mine. For a moment, I thought he might deny it, might tell me it was all a coincidence. But then he nodded, just once. "I've been looking for you," he said simply. Looking for me. The words hung in the air between us, heavy with unspoken meaning. I didn’t know whether to feel relieved or terrified. My mind raced with possibilities—was he here to help me? Did he know something about the raiders, about the dog tag I had found? Or was he here for something else entirely? I took a step back, my grip tightening around the knife. "Why?" Ben’s eyes darkened, his expression unreadable. "Because things are about to get worse, Maya. And if you stay on this road, you’re not going to survive." I frowned, my mind spinning. "What are you talking about?" He glanced over his shoulder, as if expecting someone—or something—to appear on the horizon. When he looked back at me, there was a grim determination in his eyes. "There’s a storm coming," he said. "And it’s going to swallow everything."Related chapters
The Burning 6
Suddenly, I heard it—a faint sound, like the scuffle of feet on concrete. I froze, my hand going to the knife at my belt. Ben heard it too. He straightened, his body tensed, his eyes scanning the store. "Someone’s here," I whispered, my voice barely audible. Ben didn’t respond, but his eyes flicked toward the back of the store, where the sound had come from. He motioned for me to follow, and we moved together, silently, our backs pressed against the shelves as we crept down the aisle. We reached the end of the aisle, and Ben peered around the corner, his rifle raised. I held my breath, my heart pounding so loudly I was sure whoeverr was there would hear it. Then, without warning, Ben lunged forward, grabbing someone by the collar and slamming them into the wall. A man—a scrawny, wild-eyed survivor—gasped in surprise, his hands going up in surrender. "Don’t shoot! Don’t shoot!" he begged, his voice trembling. Ben didn’t lower his rifle. "Were you following us?" he growled,
Last Updated : 2024-10-27The Burning 7
Fire was a living thing. I had learned that a long time ago. It breathed, it consumed, and it destroyed everything in its path. But this fire—this wildfire—was different. It wasn’t just alive. It was hungry. The flames roared behind us, devouring the dry forest in seconds, the sky above turning black with smoke. Every gust of wind sent embers spiraling into the air, carried on the back of a storm that seemed hell-bent on chasing us down. The heat was unbearable, like standing too close to an open furnace, and the air was thick with the acrid stench of burning wood and ash. We ran. My legs burned with exhaustion, my lungs screamed from the smoke, but I couldn’t stop. If I stopped, the fire would take me. And I couldn’t let that happen. Not again. Ben was ahead of me, his silhouette barely visible through the haze. He moved with purpose, his steps sure and steady despite the chaos around us, but I could see the tension in his shoulders, the way his head kept turning like he was
Last Updated : 2024-10-27The Burning 8
Ben led the way up the steep incline, his movements quick but careful. I followed, my legs aching, my lungs burning with every breath. We had to get higher, away from the fire, away from the heat. But the higher we climbed, the thinner the air became, and every step felt like I was dragging a thousand pounds behind me. Finally, we reached a small ledge, sheltered by a rocky outcropping. Ben stopped, his chest heaving as he caught his breath, and I collapsed beside him, my body shaking with exhaustion. For a long moment, neither of us spoke. We just sat there, listening to the distant crackle of the fire as it continued its deadly march across the forest below. The heat was still oppressive, but at least we weren’t in immediate danger of being engulfed in flames. After a while, I turned to Ben, my voice barely above a whisper. "Do you think it’s over?" He shook his head, wiping the ash from his face with the back of his hand. "No... fires like this don’t just stop. It’ll keep
Last Updated : 2024-10-27The Burning 9
The cabin was a relic from a time before the world had turned to ash and chaos. It sat nestled in the crook of the mountains, half-hidden by overgrown pines and brush, its wooden walls weathered and cracked but still standing. The roof sagged in places, and most of the windows were shattered, but it was shelter—more than we’d had in days. I leaned against the doorframe, watching as Ben moved through the small room, checking the corners like he always did, his rifle slung over his shoulder. He was methodical, precise. It was like he couldn’t turn off the soldier part of him, even when it was just the two of us and the only threat was the cold. I looked past him, through the broken window, where the last embers of the wildfire still glowed faintly in the distance. The fire was dying now, smothered by the rocky terrain and the lack of fuel, but its damage was already done. The landscape below was charred and blackened, a wasteland that stretched for miles in every direction. We were
Last Updated : 2024-10-27The Burning 10
"I lost my unit in the first few days after The Burning, " Ben said, his voice barely above a whisper. I looked up at him, surprised. He never talked about his past. Not ever. "We were stationed near the coast when the first fires hit. Everything went to hell so fast. One minute we were evacuating civilians, the next..." He trailed off, his eyes distant, like he was seeing it all again. "We were overrun. Civilians, soldiers—it didn’t matter. Most of them didn’t make it out. I lost... I lost good people that day. People I should have protected. People who trusted me to lead them." His eyes met mine, and for the first time, I saw something raw, something vulnerable in his gaze. "I know what it’s like to carry that weight, Maya. To feel like it was your fault. Like you should have done more. But the truth is, sometimes there’s nothing we can do. Sometimes the world just... burns." I stared at him, my heart pounding in my chest. I had never seen this side of Ben before, never heard
Last Updated : 2024-10-27The Burning 11
I was starting to think that the night would never end. The moon hung low in the sky, casting an eerie glow over the forest, and the fire we’d fled from was now a distant memory, just a faint orange glow on the horizon. But the weariness clung to me like the smoke still tangled in my hair, every step a reminder that we were far from safe. Ben and I had been walking for what felt like hours, the silence between us heavy and uncomfortable after everything that had come to light. His confession about knowing something was coming—the apocalypse, The Burning—still gnawed at me, twisting my thoughts until I couldn't tell where my anger ended and my exhaustion began. But then, we found them. Or rather, they found us. It started with a rustle in the trees. At first, I thought it was just the wind—the kind of sound you could ignore in a forest full of shadows. But Ben stopped dead in his tracks, his whole body going rigid, and I knew instinctively that it wasn’t the wind. Something
Last Updated : 2024-10-27The Burning 12
Ben, of course, wasn’t buying it. "How do we know you’re not just another group of raiders?” he asked, his voice sharp. "how do we know Eagle’s Nest isn’t a trap?" Harlan chuckled, the sound low and dark. "If we were raiders you'd already be dead," he said simply. "But if you want proof, why don’t you come with us? Spend a night at Eagle’s Nest. If you don’t like what you see, you’re free to leave." I glanced at Ben again, my mind spinning. I could tell he didn’t trust this guy, and to be honest, neither did I. But we were out of options. We couldn’t keep running forever. And the promise of safety, even temporary, was too tempting to ignore. "We’ll go," I said before I could stop myself.Maybe I should've just kept my mouth shut.... Ben shot me a look, but I held up my hand. "Just for the night," I added quickly. "We’ll see what it’s like. Then we'll make a decision." Harlan grinned, clearly pleased with my answer. "Smart girl," he said, nodding to his men. "Let's move." E
Last Updated : 2024-10-27The Burning 13
The morning light filtered through the cracked windows of the cabin, casting a pale, golden glow across the room. I woke with a jolt, my pulse still racing from the memory of Harlan’s voice echoing in my head. His words from the night before haunted me. (We’ll take them by force if we have to.) I sat up slowly, my muscles stiff from sleeping on the lumpy cot. Ben was already awake, standing by the door with his rifle slung over his shoulder, his expression grim. He didn’t need to say anything. We both knew what we had to do. "We’re leaving, today." Ben said, his voice quiet but firm. "Before they realize we overheard anything." I nodded, my mind spinning. But as much as I wanted to get out of Eagle’s Nest, something held me back. Maybe it was the hunger that gnawed at my insides or the exhaustion that weighed on my limbs. Or maybe it was the people. The faces I’d seen last night as we were led through the camp—tired, worn, but somehow... hopeful. Despite everything, there was
Last Updated : 2024-10-27
Latest chapter
The Burning 79
As we ate in the flickering firelight, I couldn't help but marvel at how normal it all felt. Almost like the world hadn't ended, like we were just travelers stopping at a kind stranger's house for the night. But as the evening wore on, I noticed a change in Eli's demeanor. He became quieter, more thoughtful, his gaze lingering on us in a way that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. "You two've been through a lot," he said finally, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled over us. It wasn't a question. "We've seen our share," Ben replied carefully, his spoon pausing halfway to his mouth. Eli nodded, leaning back in his creaking chair. "I've seen a lot too. More than I'd like, truth be told." He paused, seeming to wrestle with something internal. "I wasn't always a farmer, you know. Before The Burning, I worked for them. The government. I was part of something... something I'm not proud of." My heart stuttered in my chest, and I felt Ben go still beside me. We'd
The Burning 78
As we got closer, the outline of a small farmstead came into view. It was nestled against the edge of a narrow stream— miraculously still running —and surrounded by a patch of what looked like actual crops. Corn, maybe, or something that used to be corn before the world ended. The sight of growing things, of life persisting despite everything, made my throat tight with emotion."Look at that" I whispered, almost afraid to speak too loudly and break whatever spell was keeping this place alive. "Actual plants. Growing. How is this possible??"Ben shot me a cautious look, ever the pragmatist. "Could be a trap. You know how some groups operate. Make something look too good to be true, wait for desperate people to come running.""It could be," I admitted, remembering all too well the stories we'd heard about such things. "But I don't think we have much choice. We need water, and this place looks like it has it. Besides, if it were raiders, they'd probably have worse security. This place
The Burning 77
The wasteland stretched out before us, endless and desolate, a s ea of cracked earth and skeletal trees marking the landscape as a constant reminder of the world we had lost. Despite the harshness of it all, there was something oddly freeing about being out here, away from the settlement and the ghosts of the past that haunted its walls. Out here, it was just Ben and me, two souls trying to carve out something new in the ruins of what had been.Our footsteps crunched against the dry dirt as we walked, the horizon shimmering with heat in the distance. The sun hung high and merciless in the cloudless sky, and the only sound was the wind cutting across the plains, whipping at the tattered edges of our clothes. My muscles screamed with each step, my throat parched and raw, but there was a strange kind of peace in the rhythm of walking. One foot in front of the other. Keep moving. That was the only way to survive in this broken world.I glanced over at Ben, studying his profile as he wa
The Burning 76
He hesitated, his brow furrowing as if he were trying to find the right words. “There’s something I need to tell you. Something I should have told you a long time ago.” My stomach tightened. I didn’t like the sound of this. "Ben..." He stopped walking, turning to face me fully, his expression serious. "I knew about Chloe." The air seemed to leave my lungs all at once. "What....?" "I knew about her involvement in The Burning." he said, his voice steady but heavy with regret. "I....I knew before we ever got to the settlement. Before we ever found those documents." I stared at him, my mind racing. "You knew? ...how?" He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “It’s a long story, but... back when we were with that other group, before we got separated, I came across some intel. I didn’t understand all of it at the time, but Chloe’s name was there, tied to Project Inferno. I didn’t know the full extent of her involvement, but I knew enough to realize she wasn’t just some random survi
The Burning 75
I packed the last of my things into a worn canvas bag. The light was soft, almost golden, but it felt like a lie. There was nothing soft about the world we lived in now. Nothing golden about the reality we faced.I tightened the strap on my bag, my hands trembling slightly. It wasn't the weight of the bag that made me shake. It was the weight of the decision I'd made. After everything— after uncovering the truth about The Burning, after confronting Wells, after the chaos of the past few weeks— I was leaving.I couldn't stay here anymore. The settlement wasn't my home; it never had been. I had only stayed because I thought I could help. Thought I could make things right. But the more I tried, the more I realized that the answers I was searching for weren't here. They were out there, somewhere beyond the borders of this broken place.Ben was waiting for me by the gate, his silhouette dark against the pale sky. He had packed light, just like me. Neither of us had much to take. The wo
The Burning 74
Wells' jaw tightened. “We weren’t going to let the government cover it up. My unit was sent to investigate, yes, but we weren’t loyal to the people who caused this. We wanted to expose them. To bring the truth to light.” I laughed bitterly, the sound hollow in the small room. “The truth? You think exposing the truth is going to fix any of this? It’ll destroy what little we have left. People will lose whatever faith they have in rebuilding. Civilization will collapse all over again.” Wells didn’t flinch. “People deserve to know the truth, Maya. They deserve to know what was done to them.” I shook my head, the anger giving way to exhaustion. “And what happens when they find out? What happens when they realize that their own government burned them alive, that Chloe —someone they trusted —was part of it? What do you think that’ll do to them? To us?” Wells stepped closer, her voice calm but insistent. “It’s not about what it’ll do to us. It’s about justice. About holding the people res
The Burning 73
I slowly made my way to Captain Wells’ command post. My hands were still shaking, the weight of the documents I had found in the bunker pressing down on me like a physical burden. I couldn't stop thinking about what I had uncovered —about Chloe, about Luther, about the lies that had been woven into the very fabric of the world since The Burning. It felt like the ground beneath my feet had shifted, leaving me standing on the edge of a cliff, staring into a truth I wasn't ready to face. But I had to. I couldn't keep this to myself. The soldiers standing guard at the entrance to the command post nodded as I approached, their expressions neutral, but I could feel their eyes on me as I passed. They knew who I was. They knew I was the one people were looking to, whether I wanted it or not. Word traveled fast in the settlement, especially now that the survivors were clinging to anything that resembled stability. I had to admit, Wells had done a decent job keeping the peace. For al
The Burning 72
Project Inferno had been a government initiative, a secret project designed to develop a new kind of weapon —something that could burn entire landscapes in a matter of hours. Wildfire, but faster. Hotter. More destructive. And Chloe… I froze, my eyes locking onto a familiar name. Chloe's name. She... She had been involved. She had been part of the team. My stomach churned, nausea rising as I stared at the words in front of me. Chloe had known. She had been part of the project that had unleashed this hell on the world. "This can't be real." I whispered, my voice shaking. "She wouldn’t have—" “Maya,” Daniel interrupted, his voice tight. “There’s more.” I looked up, and he handed me another file. This one was thicker, the pages dog-eared and stained with something I didn’t want to think about. I opened it, and the first thing I saw was a map—our region, marked with red X's. Target zones. “I think this is where The Burning started.” Daniel said, pointing to the ma
The Burning 71
Morning came. I'd spent another sleepless night thinking about Wells' offer, the weight of the settlement’s future pressing down on me like a boulder. But instead of making any decisions, I'd buried myself in work— cleaning wounds, rationing supplies, and helping rebuild what little we could. It was all I could do to keep the guilt and grief at bay, to keep *her* voice from creeping into my mind. Chloe's voice. It had been days since Wells had offered me the leadership of the settlement. Days of watching the survivors look to me with those tired, hopeful eyes. Days of pretending I had the answers when, in truth, I was just as lost as they were. I kept telling myself I was just a healer. That leading was for someone stronger, someone who didn’t wake up every morning with the weight of a sister’s death on their conscience. But no matter how much I tried to push it away, I couldn’t ignore Wells’ words. Or Ben’s. They believed in me, even if I didn’t believe in myself. And
